2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec First Look and Review
MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 BLUETEC SAFETY FEATURES
I renamed Mercedes “Attention Assist” feature the “Coffee Cup Assist” (a small coffee cup logo is visible on the dash when the feature is active) 
and this important safety feature alerts the driver to the fact that he may be a bit sleepy (drowsiness is the cause of more than 100,000 accidents per year in the U.S. alone).
Drowsiness doesn’t set in suddenly; rather, it builds up over a period of time. In the first 20 minutes of a drive, the car establishes a profile for the driver. If a driver is sleepy, the subtle changes in the driver’s steering wheel input will reveal a potential problem
Based on the profile, if the driver appears to be driving somewhat erratically at speeds over 80 km/h (50 mph), the car beeps and flashes an Attention Assist warning (“Time for a Rest?”) on the dashboard.
(At the official launch of 
the new M-Class, I suggested to Ernst Lieb, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, that Starbucks might be interested in a tie-in where the navigation system would route drivers to the nearest Starbucks location for a cup of coffee when drowsiness was detected. He said he would study the matter.)
Other safety features include a lane departure warning system, a blind spot alert, and bi-xenon headlamps with automatic high-beam switching. New to the M-Class is Distronic Plus radar-controlled cruise control with Pre-Safe braking. If the system detects that the car in front suddenly slows down or stops, it automatically engages as much as 40% of available braking power and primes the brakes to deliver full braking power when the driver steps on the pedal. If the system calculates a potential impact and the driver does not react to an audible alert and brake, the Pre-Safe system will brake automatically.
ENGINE
When the previous-generation M-Class diesel received a mid-life refresh,
it also received a new name, going from ML320 BlueTec to ML350 BlueTec . Back then, the engine, despite the new name indicating greater displacement and power, remained the same. The new ML350 BlueTec goes from 400 to 455 pound-feet of torque, a 14% increase. It also gets a horsepower boost, from 210 to 240. Despite the increase in power, the name stays the same this time, but fuel economy goes up from 18 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway to 20 city/25 highway.
The M-Class line also gets a new seven-speed transmission with an advanced torque converter lock-up clutch that promises better fuel economy and greater responsiveness and durability.
Finally, diesel fans can rejoice in the relocation of the urea tank and filler nozzle. The tank no longer takes up what would normally be the spare tire well, so the diesel variant now comes with a spare tire and the AdBlue can be added from a port next to the fuel port on the side of the car.
The new Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec and its gasoline-powered sibling will be appearing in dealerships in the U.S. in September. I spent several days in Missoula, Montana driving the ML350 BlueTec and that report will be filed shortly.
| 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec | |
| Base price/price-as-tested | $50,490/$60,535 |
| Drivetrain | Front engine, all-wheel drive |
| Engine | 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel |
| HP/Torque (pound-feet) | 240/455 |
| Transmission | 7-speed automatic |
| Curb weight (lbs) | TBA |
| Wheelbase (inches) | 114.8 |
| Length x width x height (inches) | 189.1 x 84.3 x 70.7 |
| 0-60 mph (seconds) | 7.3 |
| City/highway fuel economy (mpg) | 20/25 |
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[...] is a 3.5-liter V6 with 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. But, for only $1,500 more, you can get the BlueTec 3-liter turbodiesel, which will perform just as well (240 hp, 455 lb-ft of torque) and give better fuel economy (20/25 [...]
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[...] review of new Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec First Look and Review By Jonathan Spira [...]
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[...] S-Class from 0 to 60 mph in seven seconds. (This is the same engine that is found in the new 2012 ML350 BlueTec.) The S350 BlueTec comes with Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive technology [...]
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[...] X5 xDrive35d alongside the BMW 335d. In many respects, the X5 diesel competes against the Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec ,the Audi Q7 TDI, and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI although each has unique qualities. The four [...]
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[...] has received an extensive refresh for 2011, bringing it in line with the new design language in the Mercedes M-Class and GL-Class which, incidentally, are both offered with diesel powerplants. The new, more angled [...]
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[...] addition, Mercedes-Benz introduced a completely redesigned ML350 BlueTec over the [...]
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[...] It is the auto maker’s entry-level SUV (Mercedes offers three other diesel SUVs, the ML-Class, GL-Class, and [...]
Why even bother? The increase in mileage is so minimal (less than 10%) that few will find it worth the increased cost. How disappointing, MB.
I have been driving Mercedes products for a long time and could care less about milage. Power and style are all that matter.